ABSTRACT
The election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 marked an historic shift in governing assumptions. Reagan was the first president who combined social and fiscal conservatism, ardent anti-communism and identification with the Christian Right. It was not clear that Reagan had a mandate matching his beliefs. Americans had in part simply turned from Jimmy Carter, who spoke of a “malaise” in America, to Ronald Reagan, whose optimism and assertive patriotism made them feel better about themselves and their prospects. Nevertheless, because Reagan was president the assumptions and language of governing, and the avenues of access to the White House, were markedly different than previously. These changes were important in determining who could speak effectively for Israel and what arguments would now be persuasive.
